4 Easy Ways to Improve Your DIY Skills

Do-it-yourself (DIY) projects have become increasingly popular over the years. With the rise of social media, it has become easier for us to share our creations with the world, and more and more people are embarking on DIY projects to unleash their creative juices. There is something special about creating something with your hands and seeing your vision come to life.

However, not everyone is naturally talented or skilled at DIY projects. If you want to improve your DIY skills, there are a few easy steps you can take. This blog post will share the best ways to enhance your DIY skills.

Start with a Small Project

One of the best ways to improve your DIY skills is to start small. Select a relatively simple project that won't take too much time or require a lot of materials. This could be anything from making a birdhouse, painting old furniture, or crafting jewelry from beads. Starting with small projects will allow you to experiment and learn new techniques without the stress of completing a complex task. Learning the basics this way can help you develop your skills gradually, laying the foundations for more advanced projects.

You'll also want to choose a project you're passionate about that will give you a sense of satisfaction when completed. This will boost your confidence and give you a sense of accomplishment and add to the overall design of your home or workspace.

Invest in Quality Tools and Materials

While it might be tempting to go for the cheapest option, this could cost you more in the long run. Poorly made tools can break quickly and will likely require replacing far sooner than higher-quality items. Low-quality materials can also be more difficult to work with, and the final product might not look as good or last as long.

When it comes to tools, you'll want to ensure they are designed for the project you plan to tackle. For instance, if you're working on woodwork, you'll need power tools, such as a drill, saw, and sanders.

Take Advantage of Online Tutorials and Classes

The internet has made it easier to access tutorials and classes that can help you hone your DIY skills. With it, you have access to a wealth of information on DIY projects and techniques. You can find online tutorials for anything from basic home repairs to complex woodworking projects. Additionally, you can take online classes to learn new skills and techniques.

For example, learning applied statistics as a skill can help you better understand measurements and calculations, which is crucial for many DIY projects. You can also find free or paid online classes that provide more in-depth instruction than what is available on the web. Professional crafters teach these courses and will give you detailed lessons on various techniques, from woodworking to painting and sewing.

Ask for Help

Even the most experienced DIY-ers need help from time to time. If you're stuck on a project, don't be afraid to ask for help from a friend, family member, or professional. Hiring a contractor or handyman for more complicated projects can save you time and money in the long run. Plus, you'll learn from their expertise and be better equipped to tackle similar projects.

Improving your DIY skills is a rewarding experience and doesn't have to be difficult. With the right tools, materials, and advice you can create amazing projects that will leave you with a feeling of accomplishment. Take on those ambitious projects step by step and enjoy the process.

Written By: Mian Azhar

4 Tips for Building Your Own Home

Written By: Lisa Thomas

Building your own home is exciting. You can design and create your forever home and turn it into a dream come true. Everything can be customized to your preferences and needs, but this process can be quite stressful. There are a lot of tasks, big and small, to complete before you even start building your house. You have to find a lot of professionals to help you build your home, and all that costs time and money. So, before you start, here are a few tips. 

Make a Plan

This is the most important step - creating a plan. Planning is more than just blueprints and development applications. It is also about setting a realistic time frame, planning your budget, planning the work to be done and in what order, finding contractors and so much more. Also, you have to plan the actual physical orientation of your home. Don’t wait until the last possible minute for all this. Rather, start making the plan ahead and it will help you plan all the necessary steps. Start with an outline, and slowly start adding important steps and details. Also, leave some room for adjustments for each step of the plan, because building your house is fun but it can unpredictable. 

Do the Research

Thorough research should be part of your plan, too. To create a plan you have to find all the prices, contractors, and other vital information. Start with researching where you want to build a house and check out properties in detail before you buy one. Also, look into house price trends, learn about local development processes, research contractors, materials, and so on. 

Also, you research the weather in your area, because this will affect the materials and timeframe of building the house. You can also look into insulation and why you might need it. You can easily get quotes and talk to professionals about why and how to insulate a basement or attic because these can be quite vital. 

Don’t forget that getting quotes for all types of contractors is essential. With quotes, you can easily start planning the budget and how much time you will have to wait for the house to be completed. 

Pick the Right Builder

Once the plan is in place, it’s time to choose your builder. This is a person who will be responsible for creating your home, so pick wisely. The process of choosing the right builder will depend on a number of factors:

• The home design you want

• The area you are building in

• Budget

• Service expectations

When looking for a builder, pay attention to their reputation and even ask around what people think of them. You can look at their portfolio to see if their skills match your needs, read online reviews, and check their licensing and accreditation. 

Be Realistic about the Budget

Before you start this big project, you have to know your budget. By knowing how much you can spend on building a house, there is no room for unpleasant surprises. You should also leave room in your budget for approval fees, stamp duty, planning and approval fees, settlement fees, and many other similar costs. So, when planning a budget, it is always better to have a little extra than to lack funds. 

One thing is for sure - choosing a builder will affect your budget. You want a builder that is transparent with their prices because you don’t want to finish the project and find out it is way over budget. 

There is a lot to cover when building your house. It is a fun project, but you will have to make a lot of decisions. So, make a plan, define the budget, get plenty of quotes from professionals and good luck. 

10 Things to Do to Keep Your House Safe When on the Road

Written by: Rachel Pruette

When you’re on vacation enjoying yourself or away on an important business trip, the last thing you want to do is have to worry about your home. Here are a few easy things you can do to keep your house safe when traveling so you can rest easy and enjoy your time away from home.

1. Put Some Lights on a Timer

It’s usually easy for people to tell when a home isn’t occupied, but setting some timers for your lights can make it less obvious. Stagger the start and stop times so that all your lights don’t come on and go off at once. Having some lights go off earlier than others gives the impression that your home has activity.

2. Leave a Car in the Driveway

A car or two in front of your house also goes a long way toward deterring would-be snoopers from poking around your property while you’re not home. If you’re taking your car, ask a trusted friend or neighbor if they can leave a car in front of your house or in your driveway while you’re gone.

3. Cancel Your Mail

An overflowing mailbox is another telltale sign that you’re not home, so don’t forget to put a hold on your deliveries before you leave. If you have a newspaper delivered, cancel that too. A pile of newspapers at the end of your driveway is another dead giveaway that nobody’s been home for a while.

4. Set the Thermostat

You should set the temperature in your home to a comfortable temperature before you go, regardless of what season you’re traveling. In the summer, letting your house get too hot probably won’t cause too many problems, but allowing the temperature to drop in the wintertime can be catastrophic.

If you don’t want to come home to burst pipes and tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage, bump up the thermostat before you go. It’s easier to manage your home’s climate while you’re away if you have a smart thermostat, but setting the temperature before you leave is an easy solution if you don’t.

5. Trim Your Trees and Bushes

This might seem like a strange thing to do before you leave, but there are two main reasons why you probably want to call a landscaper before you hit the road.

First, trees provide roof access to anyone looking to take advantage of your absence to relieve you of some of your more expensive possessions. Trees with large branches extending near your roof offer enticing opportunities for burglars hoping to gain access to your home through an unlocked upstairs window.

Second, even if you’re not worried about someone breaking in, trimming branches back from your roof will save your roof from damage if a storm rolls in while you’re away. Rogue branches can cause extensive damage that’s surprisingly expensive to repair, and unless you have a home warranty that covers roofs, you’ll be in for a nasty surprise when you get home.

6. Disconnect Electronics

Storms aren’t only a danger to your home’s exterior. Power surges from lightning strikes or damaged electrical equipment can cause circuits to overload in your house, damaging anything that’s connected and possibly sparking house fires. It’s probably a good idea to disconnect expensive electronics like computers, TVs, and stereos just to be safe, especially if you live somewhere prone to strong, sudden storms.

7. Check Your Smoke Alarms

Even if you’re good about changing your smoke alarm batteries, giving them an extra inspection before a trip is a great way to boost your peace of mind. Checking them only takes a second and could save you from disaster.

8. Lock Your Doors and Windows

This tip sounds silly, but you’d be surprised by how many home invasions happen due to unlocked entry points. Check all your doors and windows the night before you leave to make sure they’re locked, making sure to include easy-to-forget entryways like garage and basement doors.

9. Remove Your Spare Key

Even if you think your secret hiding place is undiscoverable, you should remove it while you’re away. Many people have the same ideas for where to hide keys, making it easy for a burglar to gain entry into your home without drawing attention to themselves.

If you’re worried about someone needing to get into your house while you’re gone, leave a key with them. In general, you should always leave a spare key with a trusted neighbor, friend, or family member who lives nearby.

10. Don’t Post On Social Media

One final tip: refrain from posting your glamorous vacation shots until you get home. Posts featuring stunning vistas that are obviously not near your home give anyone who knows your address the opportunity to poke around your property unimpeded. Keep in mind that your address might not be as hard to find online as you think, so the risk of sharing your pictures on social media while you’re away is probably greater than you realize.

Hidden Health Risks During DIYs by Stacy G.

Could Asbestos Be Hiding in Your Home?

As you sit watching your favorite television show or dream up your next big home improvement project, have you ever wondered if there are toxic health dangers hiding in your home? Probably not, but if you are planning on doing a little renovation work or a home remodeling project on your own, it is important to know the dangers of asbestos exposure before you get started.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a group of six naturally occurring silicate minerals made up of thin, microscopic fibers. Asbestos offers heat and chemical resistance, fireproofing, and strength. Because of these qualities, it was a popular additive to a variety of products before its dangers became known. Individuals exposed to asbestos face health risks including cancer and other illnesses.

Asbestos is found in naturally occurring deposits around the world. Its deposits are located across the United States, mainly in the western U.S. and eastern coastal states. Although asbestos mining was prominent throughout the mid to late 1900s, its use in new products was ultimately banned by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 1989. This is an important time frame to note if you are working around materials that may have been in place before then.

Where is Asbestos Typically Found?

Because of its fiber strength and heat resistance, asbestos was used in a variety of building construction materials for its fire retardancy and insulation capabilities. Asbestos has also been used in a wide range of manufactured goods—mostly in building materials—such as floor and ceiling tiles, paper products, asbestos cement products, heat-resistant fabrics, gaskets, packaging, coats, and friction products (e.g. automobile clutch, brake, and transmission parts).

Use caution when working around any of the following areas in your home:

●     Attic and wall insulation;

●     Siding and roofing shingles;

●     Walls and floors around wood-burning stoves protected with asbestos paper, millboard, or cement sheets;

●     Vinyl floor tiles and the backing on vinyl sheet flooring/adhesives;

●     Textured paint and patching compounds used on walls and ceilings;

●     Hot water and steam pipes coated with asbestos material or covered with an asbestos blanket and/or tape; and

●     Oil and coal furnaces and door gaskets with asbestos insulation.

Safety Precautions to Reduce Asbestos Exposure

No amount of asbestos is ever considered safe. Once it is disturbed, it becomes dangerous due to its ability to break down into microscopic fibers and become airborne. Asbestos fibers can linger for days, making them easy to breathe in. Once these fibers are inhaled, they can travel deep into a person’s lungs where they may eventually lodge in the lung tissue. Once it is in the lung tissue, asbestos fibers can cause several serious diseases, including various cancers. For example, peritoneal mesothelioma cancer is caused by inhaling or ingesting asbestos fibers. Unfortunately, mesothelioma cancers take a long time to show up in the system and someone may not receive a diagnosis until years after initial asbestos exposure. This is why it’s critical to take the necessary safety precautions when working with asbestos.

Always wear required protective clothing such as coveralls or similar full-body clothing, gloves, head coverings, and foot coverings when working near areas where asbestos may be present. Goggles, face shields, and other protective equipment are also necessary.

Follow these safety measures to reduce your risk of asbestos exposure:

●     Do have major repair and removal done by people trained and qualified in asbestos removal. It is highly recommended that sampling and even minor repairs still be handled by asbestos professionals.

●     Do take every precaution to avoid disrupting asbestos material.

●     Do keep activities to a minimum in any areas having damaged material that may contain asbestos.

●     Do not dust, sweep, or vacuum debris that may contain asbestos.

●     Do not saw, sand, scrape, or drill holes in asbestos materials.

●     Do not brush or try to level asbestos flooring or its backing. When asbestos flooring needs to be replaced, install new floor covering over it.

●     Do not use abrasive pads or brushes on power strippers to strip wax from asbestos flooring. Never use a power stripper on a dry floor.

●     Do not track material that could contain asbestos through the house. If you cannot avoid walking through the area, have it cleaned with a wet mop. If the material is from a damaged area—or if a large area must be cleaned—call an asbestos professional.

Hire a Professional

Unless it is labeled, you will not know whether a material contains asbestos just by looking at it. When starting a new home improvement or renovation project, treat the material as if it contains asbestos by following the above guidelines or contact an asbestos professional in your area to have it sampled and analyzed. Asbestos professionals are trained in handling asbestos material.

The type of professional will depend on the type of product and what needs to be done to correct the problem. You may hire a general asbestos contractor or, in some cases, an asbestos abatement professional trained to handle specific products and remove it for you. Abatement professionals are highly trained to follow federal and state laws. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires abatement specialists to receive thorough training and accreditation.

Certified asbestos professionals can conduct home inspections, take samples of suspected material, assess its condition, and advise what corrections are needed and who is qualified to make those corrections. A professional abatement contractor can then repair and/or properly remove asbestos materials.

Home improvement projects are a fun and rewarding investment, but it also comes with risks. Knowing the hazards before starting your next project ensures that you stay safe and healthy. As tempting as it may be to want to start right away, always ask yourself if you are sure the project is safe to tackle on your own or should you be calling a professional for help and guidance.

** If you are a contractor in Michigan and interested in becoming a certified and licensed asbestos abatement professional, Detroit Training Center can help you. You will receive the highest quality instruction with the most hands-on training for obtaining your certificate for licensing, along with the 8-hour refresher course that is required once a year to maintain licensure.

Additional Resorce: Asbestos.Com